http://ht4u.net/reviews/2010/gesamtverg ... index4.php

They have reference coolers in there as well as many of the best 3rd party solutions.
The MSI Cyclone GTX 460 stands out but apparently the reference cooler is extremely quiet also, although its not listed there.

Is the reference 5870 cooler really that quiet?

I had an XFX 5870 with what I assume is the reference cooler. It was unbearable playing demanding games such as Crysis. It made me not want to play the game because of the noise (and I was using headphones). "Lighter" games, such as Just Cause 2, didn't ramp up the fan as much and thus made the noise borderline acceptable for gaming.

Thats the reference cooler, according to the chart above its about the quietest fanned reference cooler around, at idle.

It gets up there under load but if you have a very quiet PC (suspended HDDs, very slow fans etc etc) can you hear it at idle with ear next to it?

That's the one. It was quiet at idle, but hearing it was no problems (Corsair hx520 PSU, one 120mm case fan @40% speed), from sitting at my desk position, P180 case under the desk.

@farns. I suggest you look for an aftermarket cooler. You will be disappointed with the stock cooler: both at idle and at load.

Sounds like it, thanks. Ill probably get a gtx 460, the reference cooler is fairly quiet apparently and the MSI cyclone is quieter still.

I have the Cyclone 1gb. I think it is pretty quiet, yet is it supposedly not up to SPCR silence standards. Should be fine for the casual silent seeker. The fan spins relatively slowly, but has harsh acoustics.

The stock settings have the fan idling at 50% and loading around 80%.
You are able to change the fan speed curve with the included Afterburner software. Unfortunately, the minimum fan speed is 40%.

At this speed I idle at 31C and load with:
MSI Kombustor GPU Stress Test: 70C
CODMW2: 58C
F.E.A.R.: 48C

Thats pretty solid temps considering its at the lowest fan speed possible. These temps were taken in an open case, so in an acoustipacked P182, temps could be significantly higher.

I'm very happy with this GPU, its the most stable, quiet, cool, capable, green, and flexible GPU that i've ever owned. Its also the most expensive though.